Chapter 1087: Heartfelt Understanding

Zu An was speechless.

What kind of constitution did he have? It seemed no matter what he did, he offended so many powerful figures. That Jian Yanyou was truly miserable. His own brother plotted against him, aiming to inherit his wife and power, and even his trusted subordinates harbored the same intentions. Even he himself had lived in the Duke's manor under Jian Yanyou's identity for some time... Ugh, no, no, no! He wasn't as insane and depraved as those two monsters.

Yu Yanluo, who was standing nearby, heard all this and felt both ashamed and enraged. "You scoundrels! How dare you harbor such vile intentions!" First, her brother-in-law coveted her, and now even a servant did. Would it ever end?

"Hmph, you're just a side-product," Ming Shu sneered. "Jian Yanyou and his brother might have worshipped you as their dream goddess, but to me, you're not even as appealing as a pretty queen bee."

Yu Yanluo was speechless. Zu An was speechless. A beast was indeed a beast; its taste was truly unique.

Yu Yanluo took a deep breath to compose herself, then asked, "And Yanyou? Is he being suppressed by you now, or what happened to him?"

Ming Shu snorted. "Originally, he wasn't supposed to wake up for some time. Once that drop of Purple Frost Divine Milk had fully formed and purified his body, he would have been completely reborn, undergoing a transformation that would make his future ascension to an Earth Immortal just a matter of time."

"But I never imagined you two would be hiding beneath the pond, engaging in illicit activities..."

Hearing this, Yu Yanluo's pretty face flushed. She wanted to deny it, but then she thought, 'Why bother explaining anything to this monster?' So, she didn't refute him.

Ming Shu continued, "What's more, that good-for-nothing Jian Taiding, in his despair, was adding fuel to the fire next to Jian Yanyou's body, exaggerating how Zu An was causing chaos in the Duke's manor. Jian Yanyou was already close to waking up, and his consciousness had somewhat recovered. This stimulation caused him to awaken prematurely."

"As a result, he hasn't even broken through to the Grandmaster realm!" Ming Shu was furious as he mentioned this, stomping his foot hard on Jian Taiding's head and grinding it. "This fellow is utterly useless!"

Zu An thought to himself, 'No wonder this guy just brutally killed Jian Taiding. So, this was where his resentment came from.' Although his aura was now infinitely close to that of a Grandmaster, he wasn't one yet. He was just a hair's breadth away, a gap that most people in the world might never cross in their entire lives.

Yu Yanluo frowned. "Enough. He's already dead. Why humiliate him like this?"

"If his body wasn't still useful later, I'd crush his dog head right now," Ming Shu spat out resentfully before continuing, "Because Jian Yanyou's soul fluctuated violently and he woke up early, I was forced to accelerate my plan for soul possession."

Yu Yanluo's expression changed. "So, it really was Yanyou who woke up first?"

"Just a wisp of his remnant soul," Ming Shu sneered. "I had already planted a seed inside him, making it impossible for him to resist my soul possession. However, his premature awakening disrupted my rhythm, which allowed a wisp of his remnant soul to escape. As for now, his soul has long become my nourishment. Hahahaha~"

"You!" Yu Yanluo's pretty face turned icy cold. She immediately unfurled the *Thousand Miles of Mountains and Seas Map* towards him. The map grew rapidly in the wind, as if genuinely transforming into a world of mountains and seas, threatening to engulf him. Moreover, this time lightning flashed and thunder roared within the painting, clearly indicating she had fully unleashed her killing intent.

Ming Shu smiled contemptuously. "Earlier, using that old man's body and cultivation, I was indeed somewhat wary of your trinket. But now..." As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and the expanding world of mountains and seas seemed to be enveloped by an invisible force, gradually shrinking back. Finally, it reverted into a scroll, appearing in his hand.

Ming Shu toyed with the *Thousand Miles of Mountains and Seas Map* in his hand, clicking his tongue in amazement. "You haven't even reached the Master realm, yet you can manifest a domain world that only Grandmasters can open. It's truly astonishing. I suppose you must be relying on the power of this item. This magical treasure is mine now."

"Pfft!" Yu Yanluo spat out a mouthful of blood. Having her magical treasure seized had clearly injured her significantly.

At this moment, with a flash of lightning, Zu An, wielding the Tai'e Sword, transformed into a bolt of electricity and thrust it towards the opponent's vital points. He didn't spare Yu Yanluo another glance, so as not to waste this rare opportunity.

Ming Shu's expression slightly changed, and he quickly raised his palm to meet the attack. Though they were just bare hands, they were harder than metal. They clashed head-on with the Tai'e Sword, producing the sound of weapons colliding. After one move, Ming Shu flashed several feet away. He raised his hand and looked at his sleeve, which had been cut short, revealing a look of surprise. "You indeed have some tricks, young man. No wonder Jian Taiding fell into your hands."

"I underestimated you just now. From now on, I'll be serious." As soon as he finished speaking, he lunged forward like a roc spreading its wings.

In that instant, the air around Zu An seemed to thicken, filled with an oppressive aura like Mount Tai bearing down. However, having fought against some of the world's top masters, he felt no fear and handled the situation calmly and methodically. His movement technique was uncanny; each time, he could create three or four identical clones. However, against an opponent comparable to a Grandmaster, these deceptive tactics weren't very effective. The opponent could easily locate his true body. But Zu An hadn't expected them to be effective against him. Instead, he used various unique skills to harass the opponent, surprisingly achieving a temporary stalemate.

Unfortunately, the difference in cultivation between them was too vast. He couldn't defend indefinitely, and Ming Shu finally found an opening, landing a heavy palm strike on Zu An's chest. Zu An spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as though all his internal organs had shifted. If his body hadn't been tempered multiple times by the Primordial Chaos Scripture, he likely would have been reduced to a bloody pulp by that single strike.

However, he showed no sign of panic. Instead, as if prepared, a Death's Certainty Dagger appeared in his palm, and he slashed it towards the opponent. To his disappointment, the dagger, wielded at a tricky angle, was caught between the opponent's fingers.

Zu An's expression changed, but Ming Shu sneered, "Your body is indeed incredibly tough. Jian Taiding fell for your tactic of exchanging injury for injury, so how could I not be prepared?"

"What's with this dagger? It makes even me feel the breath of death! I didn't expect such a divine weapon besides that sword," Ming Shu clicked his tongue in wonder. "But the more magical treasures you have, the better. They're all just equipment for me." Just as he was about to casually seize the dagger and sword from him, Zu An activated the Tai'e Sword's Domain of Might.

Ming Shu's expression changed, and he was momentarily dazed. Zu An seized the opportunity to stab him again with the poisoned dagger. To his surprise, the opponent's body suddenly dispersed, transforming into a swarm of buzzing black bees. The next second, the swarm of black bees gathered not far away and reformed into Jian Taiding's appearance.

"You forced me to use my life-saving trump card!" Ming Shu said, still somewhat shaken. "What was that just now? How could you possess such powerful aura?"

"Guess?" Zu An inwardly lamented, regretting that his attack had been dodged.

Ming Shu snorted. However, the opponent was truly too strange, and the black dagger made him wary of close combat, fearing he might fall into an unexpected trap. So, he spread his hands, and countless white silk threads shot out from his body, instantly attacking both Zu An and Yu Yanluo.

Zu An actually had a fondness for white silk, but seeing the sky full of it, he worried it might leave him with psychological trauma. He dared not delay in the slightest. Seeing this, he immediately unleashed his Flame Blade, striking at the incoming silk threads.

Ming Shu burst into laughter. "This is formed from the Golden Silkworm Divine Art! Do you think it fears water and fire like ordinary silk? Eh, your flames are a bit strange. They can actually burn through it?"

Zu An knew his struggle. Despite several slashes, he could only cut the silk threads slightly; he couldn't completely burn them away. But the opponent launched an overwhelming amount of white silk, covering everything. Soon, the entire ice cavern seemed to be a world of silk, and he and Yu Yanluo were forced into a corner, with nowhere left to evade.

At this moment, Yu Yanluo took out her painting brush and waved it. Soon, a Changxin Palace Lantern appeared above their heads. Covered by its soft light barrier, the silk threads immediately stopped.

"Ah Zu, quickly!"

Zu An understood intuitively. He immediately took out the imperial edict: "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

---

As an internet pundit, I spent the entire day today following the situation in Ukraine, passionately discussing the relevant developments and exchanging opinions with other online commentators. I just couldn't stop... Past wars always seemed so distant, but now we are witnessing history firsthand. Thinking about China's decline a century ago, invaded by foreign powers, what good did it do for us to appeal to the international community? One can only lament how fortunate we are to live in a powerful nation today. Yet, this didn't come out of nowhere; it was earned by countless predecessors who sacrificed their lives and shed their blood.